The Alienation of the Individual from Society: a Social-Psychological Theory and Cross-Cultural Comparison Sidney Joe Jackson Iowa State University
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Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Retrospective Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 1983 The alienation of the individual from society: A social-psychological theory and cross-cultural comparison Sidney Joe Jackson Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd Part of the Sociology Commons Recommended Citation Jackson, Sidney Joe, "The alienation of the individual from society: A social-psychological theory and cross-cultural comparison " (1983). Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. 8484. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd/8484 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Retrospective Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 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UniversiV Microfilms International 300 N. Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 8407083 Jackson, Sidney Joe THE ALIENATION OF THE INDIVIDUAL FROM SOCIETY: A SOCIAL- PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORY AND CROSS-CULTURAL COMPARISON Iowa State University PH.D. 1983 University Microfilms Internation&l 300 N. zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 Copyright 1983 by Jackson, Sidney Joe All Rights Reserved The alienation of the individual from society: A social-psychological theory and cross-cultural comparison by Sidney Joe Jackson A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department: Sociology and Anthropology Major: Sociology Approved: Signature was redacted for privacy. CRarge ofr^njor Work Signature was redacted for privacy. Signature was redacted for privacy. Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 1983 Copyright © Sidney J. Jackson, 1983. All rights reserved. TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS PART ONE: PERSISTENT PROBLEMS IN THE FIELD OF ALIENATION THEORY IN SOCIOLOGY CHAPTER I: THE DIVERSITY OF ALIENATION LITERATURE IN SOCIOLOGY AND A PRELIMINARY FRAMEWORK FOR ITS ORGANIZATION The Present State of Alienation Studies in Sociology The Need for a Comprehensive Framework in the Field of Alienation Studies A Preliminary Theoretical Framework for the Assessment of Alienation Studies in Sociology Conclusion CHAPTER II: AN APPLICATION OF THE FRAMEWORK AND AN ASSESSMENT OF PROBLEMS REMAINING An Assessment of Alienation Studies in Sociology within the Framework Summarization of the Literature Problems Remaining in the Field of Alienation Studies Organization of the Study PART TWO: TOWARD A SOCIAL-PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORY OF ALIENATION CHAPTER III: IDENTIFICATION AND ALIENATION IN INFANCY THE PRIMARY PHASE The Psychic Identity of the Infant and Others: Subjective Consciousness Breaking the Psychic Identity of the Infant and Others: Primary Alienation iii Page Continuing the Psychic Identity of the Infant with Others; Primary Identification 96 Conclusion 98 CHAPTER IV; IDENTIFICATION AND ALIENATION IN CHILDHOOD: THE SECONDARY PHASE 100 Identification in Childhood 101 Alienation in Childhood 117 Conclusion 134 CHAPTER V: A PORTRAIT OF THE ALIENATED INDIVIDUAL 138 Self-images of the Alienated Person 139 Major Characteristics of the Alienated Person 145 CHAPTER VI; THE SOCIO-HISTORICAL AND SOCIO-CULTURAL CONTEXTS OF IDENTIFICATION AND ALIENATION 157 The Socio-Historical Contexts of Identification and Alienation 159 The Socio-Cultural Contexts of Identification and Alienation; Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft 166c Identification and Alienation of Self and Others in the Two Contexts 171 Associational Society and the Alienation Process 173 Summary and Conclusion 185a PART THREE; A CROSS-CULTURAL TEST OF THE THEORY 186 CHAPTER Vli; ALIENATION IN EIGHT SOCIETIES 187 Methodological Procedure 187 Family Stability, Socialization and Alienness in Level 1 Societies 192 Family Stability, Socialization and Alienness in Level 2 Societies 202 iv Page Family Stability, Socialization and Alienness in Level 3 Societies 211 Family Stability, Socialization and Alienness in the Level 6 Societies 224 Conclusion 240 CHAPTER VIII: A COMPARISON OF THE SOCIETIES 241 Analysis and Findings 241 Conclusion 257 PART FOUR: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS TO THE STUDY 260 CHAPTER IX: A SUMMARY OF THE STUDY 261 The Theory 261 The Cross-cultural Comparison 272 CHAPTER X; CONCLUSIONS TO THE STUDY 277 Conclusions to the Theoretical Portion of the Study 278 Conclusions to the Empirical Portion of the Study 287 APPENDIX I: DEFINITION AND OPERATIONALIZATION OF CONCEPTS 289 Concept Number One; Structural Complexity 289 Concept Number Two: Family Stability 296 Concept Number Three; Socialization 297 Concept Number Four; Alienness/Identity 300 APPENDIX II: THE SAMPLE, ETHNOGRAPHIC SOURCES AND PAGE NUMBERS 303 BIBLIOGRAPHY 308 V PREFACE According to C. Wright Mills (1959) the promise of soci ology lies in its ability to make clear the connections be tween history, society, and the individual. There is perhaps no field of inquiry within sociology which takes this task upon itself moreso than that of alienation studies, From Marx to Seeman, sociological writers on alienation have made it their aim to understand these relationships. How do vast his torical events which transform entire social structures affect the individuals within them? Their answer: alienation, the severing of the social bond; and alienness, a feeling and cognizance of one's separateness from others, of one's power- lessness in the face of monumental bureaucracies and political systems, of anomia and meaninglessness, of self-estrangement. Alienation studies make fascinating reading because they deal with such crucial issues. And in the reading, one comes away with an almost overwhelming wealth of insights and new perspectives on the interdynamics of socio-historical change and individual life and experience. One also comes away, however, with a sense of perplexity and confusion. Despite its ability to stimulate and excite, if, after one has read through some of the literature, one draws back and looks at the field, it can only be said to be in near chaos. The relations between the great socio-histori cal transformations and individual life become not nearly as vi clear as once thought. The term "alienation" itself comes to be seen as encompassing historical, sociological and psycho logical phenomena. It refers to different subject-object re lationships, to both structure and process. In a word, a host of problems beset the alienation field in sociology. From the confusion that follows initial excitement in the reading of alienation literature grows a sense of frustration; and from this sense of frustration comes a host of criticisms of alienation studies and the suggestion that the term is scientifically useless and ought to be dropped. In the hue and cry that follows this, the importance of alienation stud ies is lost sight of and part of the promise of sociology is lost. This study is an attempt to bring order and scientific standing to the field of alienation studies in sociology. It does so first by attempting to solve certain semantical problems that surround the term. It does so secondly by attempting to solve certain substantive problems which them selves exist as a result of the semantic issues. These problems are problems of theory and so the first part of the study is an attempt to work out a theoretical framework. This part of the study constitutes the major effort and is viewed as its major contribution. An attempt is also made, however, to assess the empirical basis